St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner! Whether you’re indulging in traditional Irish foods or celebrating with all things gold and green, add a touch of luck to your home decor with a creative pot of gold centerpiece.

The age-old Irish tale states that at the end of the rainbow, you may be lucky enough to find a leprechaun guarding his pot of gold. Reminiscent of a rainbow, the Kaleidoscope Roses from 1-800-Flowers.com inspired us to create our own pot of gold under the rose rainbow!

Using just river rocks which can be found outside or purchased at your local garden goods store, we created our own gold nuggets. While they may not have any monetary value, they added a simple and fun festive touch to the decor. Continue reading →

Every year on March 8, one holiday takes the phrase “girl power” to a whole new—and global—level. It’s called International Women’s Day (or IWD), and it applauds the achievements of women all over the world. The holiday was born in 1911 when women in Germany, Austria, Denmark and Switzerland rallied together in support of women’s rights. It wasn’t until 1975, when the United Nations began sponsoring the event, that International Women’s Day started to gain recognition. Now, the day is officially observed in 27 countries across the globe. Continue reading →

Looking for the perfect way to add some dazzle to your workspace?Look no further than potted plants! They not only add a simple and chic fresh touch but plants also have tons of great benefits. Win-win!

We jam-packed 3 trends – DIY-ing, chic potted plants, and gold foil – and turned them into one super chic and trendy decoration to add a touch of glam to your work desk or study. The potted plant used here was the Succulent Garden by Real Simple®. It comes in a sleek white ceramic planter which served as the perfect canvas for what I had in mind. The best part? Not only was this craft so easy, but if you grow tired of the metallic look, the gold foil polka dots will come off easily with some rubbing alcohol!

Note: A 1” round hole punch was used here to create the “polka dots.” You can choose whatever hole puncher you wish to achieve your desired look. Alternatively, if you do not have a hole puncher, you can easily use scissors and a pencil to trace and cut out your desired shapes.Continue reading →

International Women’s Day, celebrated every year on March 8, is a day to celebrate and honor the women in your life. Be it a mother, wife, sister, friend or neighbor, take a few extra moments on this special day to really show them how much they are cared for and appreciated.

9 Ways to Make International Women’s Day Extra Special

1. Surprise them with a thoughtful e-card. Looking for a simple way to remind them they are on your mind? Break through all the spam and send some love to their inbox with a fun e-card! This is perfect for all types of relationships – just choose an appropriate message or design for your unique recipient, personalize and send!

2. Give them a chance to relax. Book them a well deserved massage, take care of their chores for the day, or simply let them lounge around while you prepare them a full course meal – they deserve it!

3. Share with the world why they are so special. Thanks to the power of social media, is so much easier to get a message out for the entire world (or your social network) to see. Let the world know why they are so special – just make sure they OK this first so as to not embarrass!

4. Throw a party in their honor. Invite friends, family and neighbors over to celebrate those special achievements with a party in their honor! This can be focused on one person or multiple – the point is the celebration! Continue reading →

On Thursday, February 19th, you are sure to find doors dressed with icons representing good fortunes and red decorations cut out of paper! That is because on this day Chinese New Year 2015 is celebrated by individual families and Chinese communities all over the world. Read on to learn more about Chinese New Year history, traditions and how to celebrate!

The History Of Chinese New Year

As this falls at the end of winter in China, this celebration is also sometimes known as the “Spring Festival.” Chinese New Year always falls on a date between January 21 to February 20. The history can be traced back to over four thousand years ago and was originally a celebration to honor deities.

Today, Chinese New Year is a way to say goodbye to the previous year and welcome this year with open arms and thoughts of luck, wealth and success.

The Year of the Goat – What Does It Mean?

Each year on the Chinese Lunar calendar is associated with its own zodiac sign. 2015 is the Year of the Goat – also known as the Year of the Sheep – and thus the year is said to parallel some of the trait’s of that animal’s personality. According to this belief, we can expect 2015 to be peaceful and full of creativity and kindness.

5 Traditional Ways to Celebrate Chinese New Year 2015

Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, is one of the largest festivals of the year with history dating back to the 18th century. Although the largest festival takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana, you can bring Mardi Gras right to your own home as I provide helpful and easy Mardi Gras decoration ideas using flowers!

Create Your Own Mardi Gras Flowers Decorations

Purple, green and gold are the most popular colors for Mardi Gras, so why not create a Mardi Gras floral arrangement that celebrates the occasion! Whether you’re looking for a decorative centerpiece or festive conversation starter, it’s easy to create your very own Mardi Gras flowers.

One of the best parts of Valentine’s Day? Being able to show off to your co-workers, of course! This year, take the celebration to the next level by really making her say wow with these Valentine’s Day office gifting ideas.

Go big, or send it home. If you’re looking to wow at the office, make it something the co-workers will be jealous of! For Valentine’s Day flowers, make it two dozen rather than one. If sending chocolate, go for the tower versus the box.

Coordinate with coworkers. Assuming her office bestie has a valentine this year (we wouldn’t want to make anyone feel bad), coordinate with them to take a reaction photo of your sweetie receiving her gift. Post it to social media to share how much she means to you!

Order early. Since it’s sometimes tricky coordinating exact delivery times, consider sending flowers a day or two early. You can even purchase office flowers that arrive in bud form so they’ll be in full bloom on the day in question!

Send her a picnic basket, then show up for a surprise lunch. Have a basket filled with light bites and snacks sent to her office. When she’s getting ready to dig in for lunch, surprise her by stopping by the office so the two of you can dig in together! Continue reading →

CARLE PLACE, N.Y. – Longtime Florist and Floral Expert Jerry Rosalia has worked at 1-800-Flowers.com for over 30 years and just celebrated his 60thValentine’s Day holiday. Of course this impressive achievement called for a celebration (and this blog post) in his honor. Jerry was born with a green thumb as a third generation florist growing up in Brooklyn, New York.

At 83 years young, Jerry loves his job and has been a mentor, inspiration, and friend to all around him. With a smile on his face, Jerry continues to lend his floral expertise to florists around the country at BloomNet®, 1800Flowers’ international floral wire service. You may also recognize Jerry as a contributing writer to this very blog as he lends his floral and plant knowledge to the public.

One of Jerry’s favorite work quotes is one to live by:“When you do something you love, you’ll never work a day on your life.”

Congratulations, Jerry! Thank you for a job well done, and for being you!

Valentine’s Day Plants for Him

Have you ever wondered if getting flowers for your guy is acceptable? Well, I’m here to tell you that it is! Here are a few simple tips for choosing the right flowers:

1. For the Sensitive Guy (They DO Exist!): If you’re really stuck on the idea of sending flowers, choose a plant instead. It’s Valentine’s Day, it is okay to get a little sappy, which is why this heart-shaped lucky bamboo will show him that he has your heart. And as an added bonus, it will bring him extra luck, too!

2. For the Modern Man – Why Should Only Ladies Get Flowers?:

Flowers have been the perfect gift for women, but why not for the modern man!? Just follow some of these manly flower tips: (1) Avoid pastels- Go for bright, bold colors (2) A bright red rose is a symbol of love, respect, and courage and will certainly let your feelings show. Couple it with his favorite sweets and it makes the perfect pair, just like you two! (3) A simple and classic arrangement with no frills is a safe way to go. (4) “Spruce up” the packaging- Choose a more masculine vase with his favorite sport on it or include some golf balls on the side.

Every year, Valentines around the world send their sweethearts millions of flowers, chocolates, and teddy bears to show their love and affection. People of every age celebrate Valentine’s Day, and you don’t have to be in a relationship to enjoy the perks of this holiday! Giving gifts to friends and family to show them how much you care is common, too! Remember when you exchanged Valentine’s Day cards in elementary school?

Having been around for many Valentine’s Days, as an expert in the field of delivering flowers and love, we wanted to share some interesting Valentine’s flower facts!Continue reading →